Tuesday, September 8, 2015

In the Share - Week 18

GREEN BEANS F/P By Saturday we should have some Roma (flat-pod) beans, but there are still some nice "normal" beans to pick tomorrow.

DESIREE POTATOES F Cream of flesh and rose of skin.

SALSA PACK, EGGPLANT OR OKRA F The stars of the late summer.

EGGPLANT P

HOT PEPPERS, DRIED HERBS, OR RADISHES F

NEXT WEEK: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salsa packs, roma beans, garlic, and the first of the fall greens.

FARM REPORT:
It has been a whirlwind of a week here. The summer harvest continues, we have begun to plant the high tunnel, the barn remodel is in full swing, and we are attempting to tidy up the farm before 100+ guests arrive on Sunday. Along with the crabgrass and the foxtail, there are many crops to see. The Sunday hayride will bring you past our half acre of brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.).

You may also meet some our resident wildlife. Remember those friendly butterflies from two weeks ago? Here's another one, by itself this time drinking nectar from a zinnia.

The monarch larvae can be found all over our farm on their favorite plant, the vining milkweed. We started the practice of leaving this "weed" wherever we find it. Even climbing up a tomato plant it does no harm to our crops that it uses as a trellis. The monarch eggs will be laid on it and larvae will hatch and quickly devour every leaf. That's what I call a win-win situation. The butterflies eat our weeds and we in turn leave them their only food source.

Thanks to the stellar killing power of our nation's favorite herbicide, milkweed is declining. Keep an eye out for the vining milkweed in your gardens and protect it. It is pretty common and is easily mistaken for it other vining cousins. The stem is thick and upright with heart-shaped leaves.